7/27/2013 -- Twins & Mariners, Mariners & Twins

If you’re like me, you have all sorts of fond memories of the Seattle Mariners. Most of those memories, of course, have to do with things that happened on a baseball field: The Double. Mike Cameron’s four homer game. Ichiro breaking the hits record. Felix hitting a grand slam off of Johan Santana. Things like that.

But the sport of baseball extends off the field as well. The Seattle Mariners are a social institution, and they’re people, too, and people are often memorable for their own unique reasons. To wit: Jay Buhner’s baldness. Bret Boone’s bat flip. Ken Griffey Jr.’s smile. Adrian Beltre’s testicle. Everything about Ichiro.

For Mariners fans of a certain age, though, one memory stands above them all: I speak, of course, of The Double Play Twins. Jose Lopez and Yuniesky Betancourt, or “JoLo” and “Yuni”, as they’re more commonly known, were the symbolic heart and soul of the mid-2000’s Mariners. Whether riding a tandem bicycle, or plodding dinosaur-like across the infield, or heroically fouling-off pitches that they never should’ve swung at in the first place, these Latin sensations provided the Mariners with a sense of excitement that had been missing for far too long.

Sadly, in this modern world of free agency and endorsement deals, nothing good ever lasts. The Double Play Twins have long since been separated. Yuni is in Milwaukee, where he continues to set records. JoLo has become a truly international figure, and now plays in Japan for the iconic Yomiuri Giants. Although Yuni and JoLo are still out there, news of their success is inevitably bittersweet, tinged with the regret of what was broken and can never be remade. Truly, the loss of the Double Play Twins has left a gaping hole in the heart of this Mariners fan.

But time goes on, and hope rears its head in the unlikeliest of places. In the past month, a new pair has emerged. Shortstop Brad Miller and second baseman Nick Franklin, though unlike Yuni and JoLo in many ways (primarily whiteness), are eerily similar to each other, and it's bringing back memories. It’s too early to officially pass down the mantle of The Double Play Twins, but you can bet that all of Mariners fandom is on the edge of their seats, just aching for the chance to rechristen these young men with a legacy that can still be redeemed, a legacy that –

– what’s that, you say? The Mariners played against a team called the Twins yesterday? You say you want to read about what happened in that game? That’s why you clicked on this article? Oh my! What a crazy coincidence! I am so sorry! I hate to let you down in this way. So, here it is, exactly what you want:

The Seattle Mariners played against the Minnesota Twins yesterday. The game was played to completion, and the final score was 3-2, in the Twins’ favor.

You’re welcome.